Running-gear for vehicles.



I. B. PALMER. RUNNING GEAR FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION I'ILEI) nuts, 1908.

Patented Nov. 14, 1911.

2 B IBETS-BHEET 1.

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1. PL PALMER RUNNING GEAR FDR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JA N. B, 1908.

7 Patent 111 N0 v.14, 1911.,

BEEETSBHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISAAC PALMER, or MIDDLETOWN, connnorrc or,

nUNNmG-GEAR FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of- Letters Patent. Application filed January 8, 1908. Serial No. 409,753.

Patent ed Nov. 14, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, ISAAC E. PALMER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Middletown, in the county of Middlesex and State of Connecticut, have invented 'a new and useful Improvement in Running- Gear for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to running gear for trackless power driven vehicles, and-it has more particularly for its objects to provide a construction whereby if desired, the use of pneumatic tires may be avoided, and also to provide increased traction, to provide more extensive wheel support, so as to reduce the weight upon individual wheels, to reduce the liability of skidding, to'provide trucks or semit'rucks, preferably springconnected to the body of the-vehicle, and to provide compensatin devices for the various arrangements .wheels.:

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view of the running gear in side elevat-ion,'Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same, 3 is a view in side elevation of a modifie form in whichtwo steering wheels are employed instead of three,Fi-g: 4 is a top plan view of the same, and Fig. 5 is a partial top plan view of a modified form in which'the two steering wheels are arranged out of-transverse alinement.

My resent invention contemplates a three-wheeled truck for supporting the rear of the vehicle and either a three or two wheeled support for the forward end of the vehicle, the wheels of the three-wheeled group whether at the rear-or front being preferably arranged as shown in the drawings with two w eels'of the three wheeled group following each other on oneside of the vehicleand one wheel on the opposite "from that on w side of the .vehicle mounted in a transverse plane intermediate of the two wheels on the opposite side. Where three steerin wheels arfemployedi for supporting the rent of .the vehicle, 'I' prefer to arrange the two wheels on the o ,posite side of the vehicle dich the twowheels of the rear sup or'ting truck are arranged. Each of the wheels of the rear truck is preferably made a driving wheel and these three wheels wi at all times engage the surface over whio the vehicle is traveling no matter how rough or how level it may be thereby insuring a good frictional or driving hold on the surface at three difier- 13. The wheels 12 and l the present instance 01. one side of the 100 out .points at all times. Furthermore, the load at the rear portio i of the vehicle will be distributed on three i rheels instead of two thereby making it easii r on the tires while 0 the arrangement of the wheels is such that they will track perfect y with the forward or steering wheels thireby rendering the construction suitable for country roads which are often very uneven and ridged between the wheel rut; or tracks. When three wheels are used a: steering wheels, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the third wheel ,of the three may be arra iged to track with one of the other two and distribute their load upon three instead of two tires thereby making it easier upon the tires and they may be arranged with the two wheels on the opposite side of tie vehicle from the two wheels on the rear truck and thereby the vehicle body .as a in hole will have sub stantially the same 8,1110! ant of support upon its opposite sides.

The body frame of the running gear is denoted by 1.

The three forward or' iteering wheels (see Figs, 1 and 2) are den )ted by 2, 3 and 4, the axles to which said wheels are hin ed being denoted, res ectiv sly, by 5, (3, an 7, the wheels being common so that they nill tilt toward and away from the longitudinal axis of the machine. The more advan :ed wheels 2 and 3 have their axles connect ad to a cross rod 8 by means of arms on th s aides and a rod 9 connected with the steer ng gear denoted at 10 is also connected wit]; arms on the axles v of he wheels 3 and 4 thereby causing th three wheels 2, 3 and 4 to simultaneously tilt in the same directien for guiding the 96 vehicle.

The three wheels of th( rear three-wheeled truck are denoted respec'i ly by 11,12 and are arranged in running gear to track wi th the wheel 2 and thewheel 11 on the oppo :ite side of the running gear is arran ed to track with the steering wheels 3-81154a The axle 14 on WhiCl the wheel 11 is 106 mounted connects the op ite sides of the truck -frame, one side oil t he truck frame being shown in elevation in Fi 1, and denoted by 15, it being and rstoo that a similar frame, is locate l the truck and directly be neat :the side rail of the body 1.

1I1g8(. to the axles as is 86 at't l0 0 posite side of 110 The truck is connected to the body frame 1 by springs, in the present instance by heavy leaf springs, denoted by 16, (see Fig.

, 1), it bein understood that a similar spring The side bar 15 and its companion have their opposite ends curved as shown at 17 upwardly and over to permit the end of the sprin of lin s 18.

The axle 14 forms a transverse strut between the side bar 15' and its companion bar. The axle 19 on which the wheel 13 is mounted also forms a strut between the side bar 15 of the truck and its companion bar and to make the truck still more stable, :1. strut 20 is rovided forward of the axle 14.

The true: frame is held against a Wabbling motion by means of guide bars 21, 22, which lead directly upwardly and forwardly from the bearings 23 and 24 in which the divided drive shaft which passes through the gear casing 25 extends. -'lhese bearings 23 and 2 4 are fixed to the side bar 15 and its companion bar so that the guides 21 and,

22 indirectly connect the forward end of the truck frame proper with the body frame 1, their connection with the body frame 1, at 26, 27, being .such as to 'ermit such vertical rocking movement 0 the truck frame as may be required in passing over obstructions in the road.

The divided drive shaft is connected at one end with the hub of the wheel 11 by means of a spur gear wheel 28 on the end of the shaft intermeshing with-a gear wheel 29 on a short shaft fixed to the side bar of the truck, the gear 29 engaging a gear 30 on the hub of the wheel. The gear 30 has its teeth curved in the present instance convex and made longer than the teeth on the wheel 29 which in turn are curved concave so as to permit the wheel 11 to be swung or tilted toward or away from the longitudinal axis of the running gearwithout throwing the driving gear out of mesh. The opposite end of the divided drive shaft on which the wheel 12 is fixed isconnected by. a sprocket chain 31 with the hub of the wheel 13, the wheel 13 being hinged to its axle 19 to swing or tilt toward and away from the longitudinal axis of the gear.

The wheel 11 is tilted or swung by means of a lever 32 extending transversely a portion ofthe way across tliemunning ear, the

end of the lever 32 bein connected y a rod 33 with an arm on the ub of the wheel 2.. In like manner, the wheel 13'has an arm 34 extending in a transverse direction from the hub across the running ear and its end is conncctedby a rod wit the steering gear rod 9. By means of these connections the to be suspended therefrom bymeans' wheels 11 and 13 are simultaneously tilted to a slight extent at the same time the steeringwheels 2, 3, and 4;, are tilted for the purpose of overeomin the lateral drag of the rear wheels in turning cornersor passing around corners.

The several driving wheels 11, 12 and 13 are free to seat themselves in gri ping contact with the surface of the groun whatever be the unevenness of the ground and this without disturbing the osition of the body of the running gear so aras slight obstruction is concerned and the relation of the three wheels being staggered with res ect to each other, they will pass over any ohstructions which extend over the path of the ve'- hicle,-the wheel 12 passing over first and this followed by the wheel 11 and this in turn followed by the wheel 13.

The many advantages which have hereinabove been recited with respect 'to the driving'wheels 11, 12, 13, also apply with equal force to the forward steering wheels 2, 3 and 4, and these wheels 2, 3 and t may be mounted in a truck frame quite similar to the truck frame alread described in connection with the driving w eels 11, 12 and 13.

Instead of the three steerin wheels in front, two steering wheels may he employed as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, arranged in transverse alinement. as denoted by36, 37," the said wheels being hinged to an axle 38 and connected by means of a cross rod 39 by means of arms 40 and 41 on the hubs of the wheels. In this instance, the rod 35 and its extension 9 will be connected with an arm 42 on the hub of the wheel 36 while the rod 33 will be connected with an arm 43 on the hub of the wheel37.

Instead of the two steering wheels 36 and 37 being arranged in transverse aline ment, they may be arranged as shown in Fig. 5 out of transverse alinement and hinged to an axle 44, the steering rod 9 being connected with an arm 45 on the hub of the wheel 36 and the rod 33 being connected with an arm 46 on the hub of the wheel 37.

\Vhat I claim is 1. In runnin gear for vehicles the combination with orward steering wheels, of a three-wheeled truck for the rear of the 'vehie the three wheels of the truck being arr. d in staggered relation to one another.

2. In runnin gear for vehicles. the combination with orward steering wheels, of a three-wheeled truck for sup ortin the rear of thevehicle, the three w eels ing arranged in staggered relation to one'another and a wheel being 'arran ed to tilt or swing toward and away from the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

3. In runnin gear for vehicles, the combination with 'orward steering wheels, of a three-wheeled truck for sup ortin the rear of the vehicle, the three w eels heing arranged in stag ered relation. to one another and a plura ity of truck wheels being arranged to tilt or swing toward and away from the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

4. In runnin gear for vehicles the combination with orward steering wheels, of a three-wheeled truck for supportin the rear of the vehicle, the three wheels being arranged in staggered relation to one another and one wheel of said truck on one side of the machine and another wheel of said truck on the opposite side of the machine being arranged to tilt or swing toward and away from the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

5. In running gear for vehicles, the com bination with forward. steering wheels, of a three-wheeled truck for sup orting the rear of the vehicle, each of said t iree wheels of the truck being drive wheels.

6. In running gear for vehicles, the combination with forward steering wheels, of a three-wheeled truck for supporting the rear of the vehicle, two of said truck wheels hein arranged to track with one of the forwa I( steering wheels and the-third wheel of the three wheeled truck being arranged to track with another of said forward-steering wheels. V

7 In running gear for vehicles, the combination with a three-wheeled truck for supporting the rear of the vehicle, of a threewheeled truck for supporting the forward part of the vehicle, the wheels of the two trucks being arranged in staggered relation to one another from front to rear and said forward wheels being arranged to'tilt toward and away from the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

8. In running gear for rehicles, the combination with a three-w reeled truck for supporting the rear of th! vehicle, of three wheels for supporting the forward part of rear wheels on one side of the vehicle being e ual to the sum of the torward and rear w lee-ls on the opposite side of the vehicle.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have si gned my name in gresence of two witnesses. this lthday of anuary 1908. g

ISAAC E. PALMER.

Witnesses CHAS. M. Sauna,

REUBEN M. Bonn.

of the vehicle and one on the opposite side of the vehicle, the sum of the forward and the vehicle, the said three wheels being arg 

